The most widely used and popular means of transportation throughout the world is a motorized vehicle, such as a personal automobile or a public transportation vehicle. One of the most important considerations when designing and operating any motorized vehicle is safety. Typically, most vehicles are operated in close proximity to people and other vehicles which present a one-sided danger to a person in the event of an accident that involves a vehicle hitting a person.
As a result, vehicle designers and manufacturers have allocated significant resources to providing the most effective safety methods possible. One of the oldest and ubiquitous methods is to provide a system of lights on a vehicle that visually indicate what the vehicle is doing or about to do. These lights include but are not limited to brake lights, left and right turn indicator lights, and reverse direction lights. In an effort to constantly improve the safety characteristics of a vehicle, designers and manufacturers attempt to discover where there are light deficiencies.
One such deficiency is the absence of lights on the right or left sides of a vehicle. Conventional front and rear lights provide adequate safety considerations when viewing a vehicle from the front or rear, but it is difficult to see the lights when viewing the vehicle from either side. This is a significant problem in that vehicles and people travel in many directions simultaneously, and there is constant interaction between people approaching vehicles from the front, rear or sides.
Obviously, what is needed is a visual indication means such as a light that can be viewed from the sides of to a vehicle. Lights that are viewed from the side would provide an effective means of indicating to pedestrians and other drivers what a vehicle is currently doing such as braking and therefore allow the pedestrian or other drivers to decide on a safe course of action.
A search of the prior art did not disclose literature or patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, the following U.S. patents are considered related.
PAT. NO.INVENTORISSUED5,838,247Bladowski17 Nov. 19985,260,685Parker9 Nov. 19934,310,872Lauve12 Jan. 1982
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,247 disclose a lamp comprising an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs). The LEDs are mounted in substantial coincidence with the shape of the lamp reflector, to provide an area of light source concentration larger than the projected area of the lamp.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,685 discloses a vehicle turn signal mechanism that includes a lockout turn device in the form of an electric timer. The signal is canceled by a steering wheel sensor that generates a triggering signal for an electromagnetic detent associated with a signal selector lever. The lockout device prevents the triggering signal from being generated except after the steering wheel is retained in a straight-ahead position for a predetermined time period.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,872 discloses a unitized automotive front end that includes the bumper and headlights. The latter are mounted behind a translucent, aerodynamically-shaped, bullet-like airfoil having hinged panels which pivot downward to expose the headlights.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the search:
PAT. NO.INVENTORISSUED6,989,743Pederson24 Jan. 20066,614,359Pederson2 Sep. 20036,469,443Bryant et al22 Oct. 20026,380,865Pederson30 Apr. 20023,940,657Kasiewicz et al24 Feb. 1976